Star Crossed: Memories
by Celestiana
Summary: [completed] The disgraced heir of the Kinomoto clan, Sakura, stands accused of performing witchcraft. Her crime? Enchanting the heir of the enemy Li clan, Syaoran, to fall in love with her... [sxs, full summary inside] Second arc posted
1. Leaves

_**Star Crossed: Memories**_

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**Summary: **The disgraced heir of the Kinomoto clan, Sakura, stands accused of performing witchcraft. Her crime? Enchanting the heir of the enemy Li clan to fall in love with her...

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_**Full Summary:** Thousands of years have passed since the ascension of the great Clow Reed. But both the Li clan and the Kinomoto clan still feud, each claiming direct descent to the magician. A blind and bitter hatred is born, and an era of bloodshed commences. In this world of suspicion and superstition, amity between the two clans is unthinkable, impossible and regarded as acts of treason and witchcraft. Until the unfortunate heirs of the two clans fall in love..._

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_**a/n:** It sounds an awful lot like _Romeo and Juliet_, but I promise, the similarity ends with the two heirs of the warring families falling in love. What happens after is **completely, completely _different_**. 

_Star Crossed_ will be divided into five arcs. This first arc, _Memories_, is the shortest of them all. This is where all the sappy romantic SxS scenes occur, so treasure each moment! **Also, the entirety of the first arc was written nearly three years ago**. The arcs following _Memories_ will be stylistically superior, with more attention to plot and characterization.

Anyway, I've yabbered on too much. Read on and enjoy!

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__the glorious innocence of youth shatters with the whisper of each breath  
as transitory as a fragile autumn leaf are __the tales of days gone past_

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_Part One.__ Leaves_

It was autumn. The fiery hues of scarlet and gold foliage mingled against the soft blue sky, while the brown of the path was slowly buried beneath a carpet of browning leaves fallen from their branches. The birdsong was fading, the insect life was gone…the air was brisk and chill, as some delighted in the beauty of nature, whereas others grumbled about the loss of warmth. Everything was calm, as the world prepared to fall asleep, to bask in sweet slumber as the sky poured cold ice and snow over all that was green and growing.

Sakura had always loved autumn. She had loved autumn the most: the days of change, of preparation, of youth…

She loved the feeling of the brisk wind against her face; the sound of the rustling of leaves; the sight of the fiery foliage lined up in the distance…

She loved the memories autumn brought: the echoes of long-lost days, memoirs of the past, memoirs of her mother, memoirs of _him_…

Sighing wistfully, she brushed her fiery hair out of her eyes. It would do no good, dwelling on these memories. It was dangerous to think like this.

Yet…

She could not stop thinking about him. Though it made her heart ache, and her eyes bright with unshed tears, she thought of the first time she had seen him…

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_-flashback-_

It had been just another autumn day. Sakura glanced nervously, peering through the scarf she had covered her face with. She had snuck out many times before, but all the same, the guards were never to be trusted. She had dressed herself in a middle-class dress, and her hair was let down, like the peasant girls. Her entire face was covered with a patterned scarf that had belonged to her mother, for the same purpose, according to the diary her mother had kept in the attic. She had it placed in the same fashion the peasant girls wore when they traveled around the city.

She looked right and left, before she climbed out of the window, and onto a sturdy branch. She clutched tightly to the firm wood, lest it break, holding her breath carefully.

Good. Nobody had noticed otherwise. Holding her breath, she slowly climbed downward, disturbing nothing more that a sleeping sparrow nested upon a perilous-looking perch. She saw the wall, the high wall that ran around the perimeter of her clan's property. It was built for two purposes: to keep the intruders out, and the inhabitants protectively caged in.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, as she lightly landed on the summit of the high wall. From here, it was a simple matter of grabbing a convenient rope disguised as a vine, and sliding down the height of the wall. Once landing on the perfectly manicured lawns, she sped away from her home, to a crossroad, where three others stood waiting: Kinomoto no Tomoyo-Daidouji, Chiharu-Mihara, and Yamazaki-Takashi.

"Nobody saw you?" Sakura inquired.

Tomoyo shook her head. She was Sakura's first cousin. Both Chiharu and Yamazaki were Sakura's third cousins, but Chiharu was Sakura's third cousin on her maternal grandfather's side, whereas Yamazaki was Sakura's third cousin on her paternal grandmother's side. It was confirmed that Chiharu and Yamazaki were engaged.

"I think I might have run into Yuki on my way here," Yamazaki grinned, pulling his hood over his face. "But you know him: denser than a cinderblock."

Yukito was one of Sakura's cousins by marriage. Sakura had unabashedly adored him since the age of eight, although she had grown out of it a year earlier.

"Come on," Sakura motioned. "We're wasting time. We've got exactly –" she consulted her wristwatch (also an heirloom of her mother's), "– three hours to make our story plausible. Let's go!"

They didn't need telling twice. Now that Sakura's stepmother Yoshisune had increased supervision on the children, they needed to be extra-cautious before leaving the house. She had caught them once. Just once. And they were treading toes in order to stay one step ahead of their over-suspicious matriarch. Because now, seconds counted. It was a constant race for freedom against time.

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They paused on one of the many twisting streets of the marketplace, a boisterous, rugged place filled with all sorts of people: the rich, the poor, the merchants, the children…everyone could be found in the marketplace. Sakura loved it for its liveliness, and the diversity of everything: the sight of people apart from the servants, senseis, and members of the Kinomoto clan.

Sakura watched, growing delight on her features hidden by her mother's scarf. At times like this, she yearned for the freedom that even the poor enjoyed.

"I'd rather be here than any other place in the world," she whispered to Tomoyo, who nodded.

"Look at them," she said. "Even the peasants have less to worry about. Sometimes, I wish I was one of them…away from the Kinomoto clan…"

Sakura smiled. "At least you have a chance to get away from all this. I don't even have that much."

The members of the clan, although called Kinomoto, were not all pure Kinomotos. Those who lived at the Kinomoto castle were those who could claim place on the giant, sprawling tree of descendants of the first Kinomoto. However, those who were pureblooded Kinomotos – Sakura being one of them – were not allowed to marry outside the pureblooded circle of Kinomotos. The rest of the Kinomotos – like Tomoyo – could choose to marry outside the Kinomoto clan if they wished to.

Tomoyo glanced at Sakura. "It's not all over yet, Sakura –"

"I know," Sakura said wistfully. "Being a direct descendant of the first Kinomoto, I'm not allowed to leave the clan. Ever."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo admonished. "Don't say that!"

"It's true!" Sakura insisted. "You, at least have some hope. That at least you might find your way out of the Kinomoto castle. Me, I don't even have that. I can never escape from here! I can never be happy! I can never be free!"

She stared at Tomoyo desperately. "At times like this, I wish I could just die!"

"Don't say that, Sakura," Tomoyo said, patting Sakura's shoulder. "Whatever Reed does, he does for a reason. Don't give up hope yet: even the wisest cannot see all ends. Clow Reed does everything for a reason: you were meant to live this life, for a better reason. Don't forget, they say that suffering draws one closer to Reed."

"Thanks for the lecture," Sakura muttered sarcastically.

"Move it, wenches!"

Sakura felt strong hands shove her roughly to the ground. She fixed her scarf, as the giant of a man gazed down at her in contempt.

"Peasant girl," he sneered, before spitting at her feet contemptuously, and storming off.

Sakura got to her feet shakily.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Tomoyo inquired.

"I – I'm fine," she said. She broke into a wan smile. "If I'm not invisible, I'm a public offense."

"Let's go look around," Tomoyo suggested. "Let's split up. Sakura and I can go one way, and you and Chiharu can go another."

Yamazaki agreed, though his eyes looked worried. "Alright. Make sure to meet back here in exactly one hour."

"Alright," the two girls said. As they prepared to leave, Yamazaki called out a warning.

"And don't forget, watch out for those Lis," he said.

"We will," Tomoyo called out.

"And also, if you see someone from the palace, split up," Yamazaki said. "It'll be easier for all of us to slip back unnoticed if we go separately."

"We hear you, Yamazaki," Sakura said, before she and Tomoyo ran off, giggling.

-

Sakura pointed at a small figurine.

"How much?" she asked.

The vendor thought for a minute, before replying, "89 yen."

Sakura's face fell. "But it's so small!" she protested.

The vendor glanced at her, irritated, before proceeding to explain. "You see dress? So detailed, and it handmade by my wife. She blind woman. I give you for 80 yen then."

Sakura shook her head. "That is 40 yen at most."

The vendor then lost all his patience.

"Listen peasant!" he yelled. "80 yen best offer! You give me 80, or you go away!"

The surrounding peoples' attention had been caught.

"Come on, Sakura," Tomoyo murmured. "That's not worth all the time. I could make that for you any day."

Sakura turned on her heel, before she felt someone grab her wrist.

She whipped around. The vendor had grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" she cried.

"You peasant witch," he hissed venomously, unsheathing a rusty dagger. "Do not ever disturb me again."

He waved his rusty dagger threateningly.

"Or you will not have hand," he finished.

With one last effort, Sakura heaved her arm out of the vendor's grasp. His icy stare followed her until she turned down a corner.

"Calm down, Sakura," Tomoyo advised, noting the fiery look in Sakura's eyes.

"I can't help it!" she said. "These peasants are treated like mud!"

"Stop it, Sakura," Tomoyo said. "There's nothing we can do. Come on, let's try find something else."

-

"How much for flower?" Tomoyo inquired in clipped peasant tongue, mainly to avoid speculation over a well-educated peasant.

The vendor didn't even spare her a glance. "5 yen."

Tomoyo nearly burst in indignation. "For flower?!" she nearly shrieked.

The vendor continued to polish an expensive-looking vase. "They are rare exotic flowers," he said patiently. "Either you buy it or leave."

"Rare exotic flower, my foot," Tomoyo muttered in Sakura's ear. "Those grow in our garden back home."

"How about bracelet?" she continued, pointing at a bracelet made of painted green stones.

"40 yen."

Tomoyo took a deep breath to calm herself. "But it not even real!" she cried.

In a flash, the vendor had whipped out a long ash stave.

"I'm warning you," he said, his voice cold. "One more remark like that, and you'll be walking home with your arms and legs matching your pretty blue eyes. Understand?"

"Come on Tomoyo," Sakura muttered, grabbing her arm. "Let's go –"

Her eyes widened.

"Yes, let's go," Tomoyo answered. She received no answer.

"Sakura?" she asked blankly.

"Yoshisune!" she hissed.

"What -?"

Sakura pointed to a fine-featured woman with catlike eyes. "Yoshisune!"

Tomoyo sucked in worriedly. "We should split up."

"Yes," Sakura said, breathing slowly. "A – alright then, you go that way, and I'll go this way. Head straight back to the manor, don't wait for Yamazaki and Chiharu. If you do see them, tell them to go back straight away."

Tomoyo nodded, and scampered off. Sakura turned and walked quickly, her eyes darting alertly around her. Beneath her worn moccasins, pebbles clacked noisily. Sakura watched them nervously; one false move could lead to a sprained ankle, and that would surely be the ticket to her doom.

WHAM!

Before she could even realize what happened, strong hands grabbed her forearms. Sakura struggled, the hard grip turning her arms blue.

"Hold still!" commanded a gruff voice. Sakura halted, her eyes watering from the man's grip.

"I need to ask you some questions, peasant."

Sakura nodded fearfully.

"We have received information that a Kinomoto is present," the man said. "Have you seen her?"

Sakura weighed her chances. If she directed the man to Yoshisune, then maybe she could buy herself, and the others, some time. If they hurt Yoshisune…well, that was only one more reason to direct the man to her.

"The matriarch of the Kinomoto clan was somewhere back there," she said, averting her gaze.

The man looked thoughtful. "The matriarch? You mean Lady Yoshisune?"

Sakura nodded. "It did look like her."

The man sighed. He pressed a small sack into Sakura's hand. "For your obedience."

He ran off.

Sakura stared at the sack. It was a black cloth, nothing extraordinary, tattooed with the Li emblem in green. It was filled with coins.

Slowly, as if taking time to realize this, Sakura realized that she had just handed her stepmother over to the Lis.

"I have sinned, Clow Reed," she whispered, clutching the sack tightly. "I am sorry."

The sky was darkening rapidly, as Sakura made her way through the twisted roads of the marketplace. The entire place was illuminated as a clap of thunder sounded overhead.

_Perfect_, Sakura thought to herself, as pellets of rain began to fall. _Just what we all need. More delays._

She raced through the streets, avoiding stares of the people around her. She checked her watch anxiously. Where were Tomoyo and the rest? Had they made it on time?

SLAM!

Stars danced in front of her eyes as she collided into something hard and fell on the rocky ground. Her hands automatically flicked to her scarf, which was had come undone slightly, but before she could fix it, she felt strong hands pull her upward by the hair. She gasped slightly, from the pain.

She found herself staring at the same giant man who had shoved her over not long ago. He stared at her, a sneer pulling at his features.

"So look what we have here," he sneered, drawing a dagger. "A peasant girl, lost, with no place to go."

He licked the cold steel of his blade. "This is going to be fun."

Sakura's eyes were pleading. Struggling was no use, she knew this.

"Now, let's see how loud you can scr –" the man's words were cut off as his eyes widened.

Sakura's scarf had all but come undone, her face visible to all.

"Reed's staff!" he muttered. "You must be one of the Kinomotos."

Sakura didn't say a word, her mind working furiously. She was in for it now – she had been caught and recognized – now it was only a matter of time before they handed her over to the guards…

"You have to be a halfblood…or more. You have the eyes," the man pointed out. He twirled the dagger expertly, thinking. "You must be a pureblooded Kinomoto. Aren't you?"

Sakura didn't reply. It was over.

The man grabbed her wet hair, and inhaled deeply.

"Yes," he said. "You must be pureblooded. How else would you come across sandalwood and myrrh?"

Ages ago, Sakura would have known better not to wander outside after washing her hair, for sandalwood and myrrh exude a strong aroma until two days after application, which was why Yoshisune had ordered all of them to wash in two-day intervals. Now she had no choice but to take the risk, which was all but worth it.

Now she had been caught.

"…now, what should I do with you?" the man pondered mockingly. "Should I throw you out on the streets? Should I send you back home? Or…"

A wicked smile spread across his face.

"Maybe I should tie you in front of the Li manor," he suggested evilly.

Sakura glared at him, although her stomach had sunk to her knees at the suggestion.

"I'm sure the Lis would have a terrific example to make of you," he sneered. Sakura felt her blood boil.

"No more terrific than we would have made of them," she spat. Blood was blood after all, despite the restrictions it imposed on her.

She staggered slightly as the man struck her across the face.

"Shut up, wench!" he shouted, raising his hand again. "Or I swear that today will be your last!"

"If you did so, my kin would hunt you down toward the ends of the earth!" Sakura retorted. "Would you kill me if you knew it would place a bounty on you?"

He brought his hand upon her face again, with more force.

"Don't you – ever – say that – again," he said forcefully, shoving her to the ground.

He then looked around.

"Hey there!" he shouted. "I have a Kinomoto here! A Kinomoto pureblood! Lis! There is a Kinomoto pureblood here!"

His cries were greeted by angry shouts.

The man turned to Sakura, his heel ground in the hem of her dress. "Maybe today won't be your last, Kinomoto filth," he sneered. "But you'll wish it would be, when these people are through with you."

Sakura's eyes roved around her, panicked. There were nearly twenty Li men coming toward her, pushing through civilians and peasants to reach the man. She still had time.

With what strength she had left, she pushed herself up, the hem of her dress ripping all the way up to her knees. She dashed through the crowded streets, ignoring the man's outraged shouts. Somewhere along the way, one of her shoes fell off; the other flapped uselessly on her other foot. The pebbles underfoot ripped and tore at her exposed foot, as she struggled through the crowd.

With a cry, she tripped and fell over, causing much confusion and dispute to ensue. Trapped amid the shouts of angry civilians, she struggled to rise, blood flowing freely from a slash in her cheek.

"There she is! Don't let her get away!"

Sakura glanced back, afraid. There were even more Lis coming her way. Slipping off her shoe and testing its weight, she drew her arm back and gave a mighty throw that found its mark on one of the Li soldiers.

She turned and ran, fright turning to agility. The market was a crowded place, with many twists and turns. She could lose them somewhere. She knew that if she took a left and then took the right fork in the road, she could scale the tree there and jump into the river and swim to the Kinomoto castle before the Lis even noted what path she had taken –

A hand grabbed her wrist, and twisted it painfully behind her back. The next thing she knew, there was a knife at her throat.

"Don't even think of running away, filth," the Li whispered. "Or we'll chop you up nice and slow."

Sakura shuddered inwardly, her eyes still roving desperately as more and more Lis came.

With a sudden movement, she was released and kicked to the centre of the formation of Lis. She fell to her knees, her feet bleeding, her face pouring blood, her entire form scratched and bruised.

"Well, well…" one sneered, unsheathing a sword. "Look at who we caught in our net. A Kinomoto. And pureblood, by the looks of it."

Sakura tried to rise, but in the blink of an eye, a Li unrolled a whip and cracked it. Sakura halted.

"Very smart," he said contemptuously. "Is the little girl afraid of the whip?"

He cracked it again – louder.

"Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer."

Sakura didn't move.

The soldier cracked his whip again. "Or you'll be under this whip."

Sakura's eyes were downcast. Even now, she was still trying to find her way out of this. _Please, Reed_, she begged silently, _let there be a way out of this. Please._

"First of all," the soldier sneered. "How many does your brother command?"

Sakura didn't answer.

_Crack!_

She winced as the soldier withdrew his whip.

"Now, answer me! How many does your brother command?"

Sakura stared blankly at him.

_Crack! Crack!_

She winced as he withdrew the whip again. She could feel the warm fluid seeping down her back, and shuddered again.

"That hurt, didn't it?" the soldier sneered. "Now, I'm asking you one more time. How many men does your brother command?"

Panting slightly, and feeling slightly dizzy, Sakura met the soldier's eyes.

"Go boil yourself," she gasped.

The man's foot kicked out at her, his face livid.

"You Kinomoto scum!" he spat. He turned to his fellow comrades. "Go now," he said. "I want to finish her off by myself."

The rest of the soldiers stepped back, as the man shouldered a huge bow, and fitted a large arrow to it. He stepped back until he was ten feet away from her.

"Get up," he ordered.

Sakura struggled to her feet, her heart pounding heavily. This was it, this was the end. Images of Tomoyo and Chiharu and Yamazaki filled her mind. Yukito and her brother Touya. Her long-gone mother, Nadeshiko.

Happiness filled her mind. At least she would be with her mother.

"This is why you never anger the Lis," the soldier said, taking aim. "Any last words?"

Sakura stared at him with blank eyes. Memories of her mother filled her mind.

The tension on the bowstring increased; the man's hand was shaking with the tension of the arrow.

Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for it to come…

The arrow left the bow…

-

Suddenly, as if in slow motion, Sakura heard someone coming. A rush of footfalls coming toward her.

_They're coming_, she thought. _The chariot of Reed has come to take me…_

The next thing she knew, someone had grabbed her by the shoulders. Her eyes flew open as whoever it was took an almighty leap and, holding her protectively, rolled down the hill. They reached the bottom of the hill, near the banks of an eddying river. Sakura could barely recognize her surroundings, before she felt herself being bodily lifted in her savior's powerful arms. Her rescuer – whoever it was – seemed to know their way well around the place, because no sooner had they gotten up, they raced speedily along the banks, and ducked behind a conveniently-placed, long-abandoned outhouse of some sort.

Sakura couldn't halt the painful pounding of her heart – her body was trembling at her brush with death, and her nerves tingling with the fact that she had emerged alive. Her knees felt weak, her stomach was churning…she felt so sick…

The next thing she heard were oncoming shouts of fury. The image of the Li man who had stood before her, aiming that arrow at _her_ – not for another, but for her – the Li man who could have been so evil and hateful, to hate her enough to aim the arrow at her – that same man could be waiting outside, searching for her angrily.

What happened if he found her again? Would she be killed? Taken captive?

_Oh Reed_, she prayed silently, _don't ever let me step outside the house again…_

She felt herself being returned slowly to the ground, her rescuer's hands loosening around her waist. The next thing she knew, her knees had buckled, and her savior, whoever it was, folded their arms around her shoulders protectively, Sakura pressed up against its chest.

It took a while for Sakura to come to her senses. She was trapped between the wall and this stranger's body – it must be a man, by the flatness of the chest, the well-toned muscle discernible against Sakura's cheek. He could not be very old, judging from the smoothness of the arm and neck – he couldn't be a peasant, either – no peasant was this well built.

She shivered, pressing herself closer to this stranger, surprising even herself. Normally, she would have shrank away from anyone short of an acquaintance. This sense of…trust…was not one she readily gave, even to those she had known all her life. Why then, did she feel so secure in this strange man's arms?

Why did she feel as though she would rather be here than anywhere else in the world?

Why did she feel that as long as she remained in this man's arms, she would remain safe from the world?

Sakura could answer nothing, only that the man had tightened his protective hold around her, in what was short of a comforting embrace.

Once the sounds of the pursuing Lis had faded away, only then did Sakura regain her senses. She stepped back slightly, the arm about her shoulders loosening its hold. Sakura gazed into the face of her savior, feeling somewhat winded as she did.

It was a boy – he could not be much older than she – he had to be almost Touya's age, if not, maybe a bit older. He had a strong jaw, hair the color of chestnuts, and the most intense amber eyes she had ever seen. At the moment, those intense amber eyes were fixed on her, a penetrating, sincere gaze that made her insides feel hollow.

It seemed for an eternity that she stood there, pressed between the boy and the wall, just staring blankly, as though her mind had been wiped of all thought, as amber met green.

_Say something_, her mind urged. _A thank-you would be appropriate, considering he just about saved your life…_

But Sakura couldn't find words. She could find nothing to describe how she felt…she felt so dizzy…she could hardly breathe.

And just as she opened her mouth, she thought she heard a faint cry in the distance. The boy stiffened, and wrenched his gaze from Sakura's as he hurried out into the distance, Sakura's green eyes following him every step of the way, until the horizon swallowed him up.

_-end flashback-_

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Sakura sighed. She owed him her life. And instead, she had caused his exile. Because of her, he had been sentenced to seven lonely years on the cold borders, far away from his home and family. Far away from her.

Sakura shook her head silently. She had not betrayed him, nor had he her. She was no enchantress and had cast no spell, though the world screamed out otherwise. As for Li no Syaoran, he was out there, somewhere, waiting for her. The shore of her world, the cornerstone of her being. He loved her as she loved him. The world believed it impossible and condemned their love as an abomination of the magical arts.

They were separated, led to live their lives in solitude. Their so-called love, put to the test.

And so they lived, patiently waiting for the day when they could be reunited and prove to the world that their love was genuine.

They had never accomodated the malicious intents of others in their dreams, however.

And it was an oversight they never should have been careless enough to make.

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**Disclaimer:** _Card Captor Sakura_ belongs to CLAMP and everything affiliated to it. I own nothing familiar.

**a/n:** In case this wasn't clear, the whole story takes place years after Sakura and Syaoran first met (and many years after the trial). I know everything seems really, really confusing right now, but it'll all be explained in later chapters.

Again, there isn't much of a plot right now. Bear with me. This was originally a songfic I started writing three years ago. After working on it off and on and watching it grow, I decided to scrap the songfic idea and divide the story into chapters. In the process, I changed the entire plot around. I've tried editing out areas that have nothing to do with the plot as it is, but it's difficult when you wrote it such a long time ago.

The chapters aren't going to be very long either. At least not for this arc.

**Next Chapter:** We meet Syaoran. Short and simple.

**Please find it in your hearts to review. A quick word or two is all you need! (seriously, I've gotten reviews that were one letter long, and it still made me grin!) The more reviews means a faster update.** (I'll confess right here at the very beginning: I am a review whore. That's right. Readers of my other fic, _Undercover, _know that very well about me. -sighs-)

**Read and Review, please!**

**_-Celestiana_**


	2. Sunset

_**Star Crossed: Memories**_

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**Summary: **The disgraced heir of the Kinomoto clan, Sakura, stands accused of performing witchcraft. Her crime? Enchanting the heir of the enemy Li clan to fall in love with her...

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_**Full Summary:** Thousands of years have passed since the ascension of the great Clow Reed. But both the Li clan and the Kinomoto clan still feud, each claiming direct descent to the magician. A blind and bitter hatred is born, and an era of bloodshed commences. In this world of suspicion and superstition, amity between the two clans is unthinkable, impossible and regarded as acts of treason and witchcraft. Until the unfortunate heirs of the two clans fall in love...

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**a/n: **Thank you to those who reviewed, alerted and even favourited this story! **-blinks-** Really, this arc is my least favourite. It's so sappy and...non-motile. Blech... 

Oh, and I completely forgot to mention this last chapter! This fic takes place in what I like to think of as 'old Japan'. So (according to _Wikipedia_ anyway), the members of traditional Japanese clans would be called like so: 'The name of the clan', followed by "no", and then 'their given name'. So following this logic, Sakura would be called "_Kinomoto no Sakura_", translating roughly to "_Sakura of the Kinomoto clan_", Syaoran would be called "_Li no Syaoran_" (Syaoran of the Li clan), etc.. I took the liberty of switching this up a bit for characters like Tomoyo, calling her "_Kinomoto no Tomoyo-Daidouji_" (Tomoyo Daidouji of the Kinomoto clan), as she's got a surname of her own. Sorry if that seemed a bit confusing last chapter...kudos to **Artificial Happiness** for pointing that out!

Anyway, another painfully saccharine chapter to go through...enjoy!

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_for your sake i live with lips sealed, pain hidden  
your arms are my world, your smile is my sky_

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_Part Two.__ Sunset_

Miles away from the Kinomoto Castle, in a far away place, surrounded by water and trees and fire and stone…

An eagle soared in the sky, its white wings flexing powerfully as it circled the small inlet, a letter clutched in its talons. Its midnight-black eyes roved the land carefully, catching sight of its destination.

Slowly, yet powerfully, the eagle descended upon the land, the glassy blue surface breaking into rough waves that tossed and turned, obeying the whim of the powerful winds that were blowing, storm-grey clouds breaking across the sky.

A storm was coming!

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The sound of galloping hooves resonated around the small inlet. A teenage boy on a brown horse rose up a cobblestone-paved pathway by the river. The river led to a wide lake, surrounded by hills and rocky outcrops. It was on one such hill, that a tall, lean figure stood stock still, an icy silver sword positioned by his face, his eyes closed in concentration. 

The teenage boy disembarked gently, the sound of his boots hitting the rough gravel crunching slightly, lost to the wind. The boy approached the still figure tentatively, as silently as possible. He reached inside his cloak, his hand closing about a long wooden object –

Suddenly, the figure before him came to life. With a yell, his eyes flashed open as the sword came rushing to meet the boy's head, a surely fatal blow a hairbreadth away from the boy.

"Li-sama!" the boy said in a voice shy of a squeak. "If you please – it's only me."

Syaoran smirked slightly, a mirthless smile that held no joy. The boy shivered as he sheathed his sword.

"What do you want, Tai?" he asked dismissively.

"If – if you please – a letter flew in –" the boy stammered, but he was cut off.

"From who?" the older one asked lazily.

Tai gulped. "I don't know, Li-sama, I haven't read it, and all I saw was that it was addressed to you –"

"Thank you, Tai," Syaoran dismissed the boy. "If you would hand me the letter, I shall see what it is about."

Young Tai bobbed his head, as he pulled forth a hollow wooden cylinder, which he uncorked and pulled forth several rolled-up pieces of parchment, bearing the name _Syaoran_, as well as a green wax seal bearing the Li emblem.

Syaoran took the roll, and turned away from the boy, drawing forth a dagger and slitting the wax seal.

"Thank you Tai, that will be all," Syaoran gave a curt nod. "You may go."

"Th – thank you," Tai bowed clumsily and just short of ran to his horse.

Syaoran waited until the last sound of hooves had disappeared from his earshot, before unrolling the parchments. There were ten letters: one from his mother, four from his sisters, one from the military senior general, Wei, one from his clansmember (and one convinced to be his fiancé – sadly mistaken), Leiko, one each from his two most beloved clansmembers and best friends – Eriol and Meiling – and finally, tucked snugly in between Eriol's and Meiling's letters – it was from _her_…

He tore through the letters, the others dropping to the ground as he fingered the last one. It was written in a flowing script in a delicate thin line, as though the writer had taken great care in writing this. He inhaled gently. Her scent was all over the parchment: the soft fragrance of cherry blossoms, the aroma of myrrh and sandalwood (just like her hair). And the green script – the emerald green ink that matched her eyes completely...he could close his eyes and he could see her waiting for him, every detail etched in his memory painstakingly. The flowing red tresses, the sparkling green eyes, the warm, thoughtful smile...

He sat down on a flat-surfaced rock, reading her letter carefully, savoring every word. Why, if he listened close enough, he could almost hear her voice reading out every word – her gentle voice that soothed him more than any lullaby.

_Syaoran,_

_Do you remember what day it is today? Of course you will, you never forget. Today is the start of the Moon Festival – but Father and Yoshisune are trying to persuade me to go with Kenshin! I can understand why Yoshisune would insist so, but Father?! Not only has Yoshisune tried to overthrow Touya's rights to our clan, she is setting her sights on me now! I am very worried, Syaoran, and I am waiting for the day of your return, so that one day, we may attend the Moon Festival together. Don't worry – I am going alone this year, but I pray to Reed that you may return within the next year as I cannot fight Yoshisune on my own._

Syaoran's forehead creased with anxiety as he read this. The Moon Festival was a celebration of the new year, when the moon turned an enchanting shade of colour and remained that way for nine days. The opening festival was a prayer to Reed, to his absolute power over all, and then there was a ball. Well, actually, there were two of them – one for the promised couples, and a masked one for the singles. If she was being forced to go to the ball with Kenshin...that would mean her engagement was finalized?

Syaoran swore under his breath. This year, the moon was turning an enchanting golden shade – the same shade it had been the year he had met her. There was a seven-year cycle, in which the moon turned a different shade every year: the Year of the Red Moon, the Year of the Orange Moon, the Year of the Golden Moon, the Year of the Green Moon, the Year of the Blue Moon, the Year of the Violet Moon and finally, the Year of the Blushing Moon, where the moon blushed a rosy pink. There were many astrological theories about the people born under different moons. Syaoran, for example, had been born in the Year of the Red Moon – a great honor for males, as the color red symbolized strength, aggression and wisdom. It was often rumored that males born under the Red Moon were best paired with females born under the Blushing Moon: for the pink hue of the Blushing Moon depicted beauty, humility and fertility – the three main qualities sought in a girl these days.

_Sakura was born under the Blushing Moon_, Syaoran thought to himself. _As was my mother, and my father – he was born under the Red Moon. But their pairing was short-lived, for Reed called him to his side much earlier than expected._

He continued reading Sakura's letter.

_It is the Year of the Golden Moon – the year they say true lovers unite. I believe them. Has it been a full cycle since the first we met? Time passes so very quickly…and yet it does not, for each second passes with agonizing slowness, the torment of an eternity without you. Yet the days speed by, leaving us to run after them, aging a lifetime every moment spent without you. With each breath I draw, I hear your voice. With every step I take, I feel your presence beside me. And at every hurdle, I can never feel alone, because you are here with me, to help me past every hurdle – every hardship I ever will endure. _

The parchment was slightly crinkled, the ink slightly smudged. As though the parchment had been showered by a fall of the writer's tears – a liquid more precious than water, more potent than poison, more intoxicating than the richest wine brewed. Every joy, every sadness, every emotion she had ever experienced was somehow in this letter – her sorrows were in the smudges of the letters, and they pierced him in the heart, the torment of separation.

_I will wait for you. Please come back soon – the ninth moon of this year marks your return. Do not delay. I have waited patiently for you – now, with this year marks the oncoming of your arrival. I await that day: that dawn will never come too soon._

_Yours forever and more,_

_Sakura_

Syaoran sighed, his mind poring over the words in the letter. She wrote to him every moon, but he could hear her voice speaking to him every day, her heart pounding in his ears every time he breathed. At times, he even thought he could hear her thoughts at night. Such was the depth of their bond.

His heart hammering, he carefully folded up her letter, and unfolded Eriol's letter, scanning its contents eagerly.

_Little Wolf._

Syaoran scowled at Eriol's liberal use of his nickname. That had been a game they had played when they were children: he, Eriol and Meiling.

_Sorry about that, I could not resist. I couldn't write that much this month; too much has been happening – Meiling had more time to write. Basically, the feud between the Lis and Kinomotos has been growing more nasty ever since the waning of the last moon. It's as if the Kinomotos expect a revolt from us Lis once you return. Whatever it is, there's been a lot more tension these days. We lost ten good men just over the past two weeks. Prince Ryozo had made a public announcement that warfare twixt the Lis and Kinomotos was to be forbidden, and any caught would be punished with banishment or death – but these Kinomotos do not follow any instinct but their own. _

As if interpreting Syaoran's reaction, the letter took a different turn.

_Yes, I know that __most__ of the Kinomotos aren't all bad. But the ones that are bent on washing the streets with our blood – I can't think too highly of them yet. But the ones that think half-rationally – Sakura and Tomoyo, for example – are fine specimens of people._

Syaoran breathed easily again.

_But tread easily around letters from the women of the household_, the letter went on. _Especially that girl Leiko. She and Yelan have been getting close. Way too close, if you ask me. They spend a lot of time talking in the garden – and from what Meiling tells me, prospects look very bleak._

Syaoran's jaw dropped. Li no Leiko-Kanzaki was his second cousin on his mother's side: she was a pretty, albeit sinister-looking girl, headstrong and crafty. Syaoran did not like her or her simpering smiles as she waved coyly at him every time he had passed. Though he knew his mother would try force her on him, he had established that he wanted a woman with a _backbone_.

Oh, Leiko had whined, then. And manipulated herself around the manor in ways so underhanded, Syaoran felt his fist clench at the thought. He absolutely _despised_ the wench who called herself Leiko – that arrogant, conceited girl who was hell bent on becoming the next matriarch of the Li clan.

Syaoran, in a last desperate bid, had turned to his beloved cousin, Meiling, who had lost her father in the raids before she was born, and had lost her mother during childbirth. Yelan had raised Meiling as her own daughter, though Meiling had a spark not found commonly in girls. Then again, she had been born under the Green Moon, which symbolized sharp wit, adventurousness and independence – virtues that were not valued in women, although Meiling played them to her advantage, happiest with Syaoran and Eriol.

Though Meiling had initially turned down the idea, Syaoran finally made her agree that should he not find "the girl of his dreams", he would marry her. Though Meiling had been shocked and angry, Syaoran had finally persuaded her that he would rather marry a best friend than some simpering idiot with nothing better to do with her time.

But if his mother was spending time with Leiko _in private_…Syaoran shuddered in anger. _How dare she!_ Leiko was a self-absorbed Orange Moon – pride, persistence and determination – and she displayed the best of Orange Moon qualities in the lowest forms. She was so…manipulative and sly, it sickened him, to know the few number of people who could actually see through that simpering, coy mask she wore around her sinister eyes.

He read onward.

_Meiling can tell you the rest. I've been so busy holding the defenses. Still, only nine more moons, and then you'll be back. Finally, I can get some rest._

_Eagerly awaiting,_

_Eriol_

Syaoran frowned as he unfolded Meiling's letter. What was going on?

_Syaoran;_

_I'm really worried. Aunt Yelan has been very preoccupied these days. And she will not even look at me now! Instead, she spends her time in the garden with that no-good wench Leiko – Sheifa and I overheard them one day, talking about you. It didn't sound good. Not good at all. They'll be announcing your engagement soon after you come back, I'm sure of it. It's as though they have lost all respect for your judgment. Please be careful in the way you handle Leiko – she has sent you a letter, and Aunt Yelan was not allowed to read it. Such privacy is only granted to the forechildren of the Li clan, of which Leiko is not! I warn you, tread cautiously about her. Say nothing short of irritable. Worry about your manners later – there are other lives on the line here – like Sakura's, for example. She says that her parents are forcing an engagement, and she could hardly refuse to attend the Moon Festival ball with him. I am worried for her – with each day she grows paler, and a little more of her disappears. She has waited patiently for six years – please, do not let her patience be in vain._

Syaoran blinked. That was Meiling, so thoughtful, yet so conclusive. She was always so brave, yet so selfless. He knew that his forbidden infatuation with the Kinomoto forechild had cost Meiling a great deal. Although, he suspected that somewhere within her, Meiling had never wished to be a matriarch of the Li clan. _That responsibility_, she said once, _belonged to someone else. Someone who actually wants it. Me, I want to be able to live in peace. I want to have as little responsibility as possible. The less you're tied down to, the more you can enjoy life._

Syaoran smiled at the thought of his wild cousin, before continuing.

_Also, I think Eriol is in love._

"What?" Syaoran asked, scrambling to get a better look. "Eriol – in _love_?!"

_Of course, he will never admit it. But for what other reason does he turn crimson every time I mention the name of Tomoyo, Sakura's dearest friend? _

Syaoran's face broke into a smile, the first true smile he had smiled in days. One that eased his strong jaw, softened his hard eyes, and loosened his tight, unyielding mouth. A smile reserved only for one woman alone now broke through his cold exterior, as though a hidden light had broken free, lighting up the intensity of his eyes, evaporating the ruggedness of his otherwise handsome face.

"Well!" Syaoran muttered to himself, smirking. "Eriol and Tomoyo! I should have guessed it!"

_It also might explain his sudden disappearances from dinnertime lately, and when he does return, he is in often in an inexplicably good mood, his eyes tender and reserved, as though he has encountered one very dear to him._

Syaoran shook his head, the smirk still clinging to his lips. Who would have thought? Eriol. Happy, carefree, responsibility-shirking Eriol, in love. With a Kinomoto, no less. Next you knew, Meiling would be spending her free time sewing shirts for a sweetheart.

_Yes, I believe he and Tomoyo have fallen in love. Although, it will not be easy for either of our families to accept their love – much like how you and Sakura were accepted. I begin to believe that this time, rather than shunning the man, they will merely banish the children. It would make life so much easier, if it were that way. Who knows? I myself might pretend to have a Kinomoto lover, and in this way, be sent away from the Li manor._

Syaoran's brow furrowed. It was also incredibly like Meiling to think of exceedingly stupid ways to leave the Li manor, for she hated the captivity and longed to be free. But such a drastic comment? Next thing, Meiling would be in love.

Syaoran scoffed at the idea, but then stopped. _Why?_ an inner voice questioned. _The three of you scoffed at the idea of you falling in love, and now look at you. Spending seven years in exile just for the sake of one you love above all. Face it, Syaoran, times do change. Maybe in seven years apart from the rest, Meiling has grown from a spitfire of a boy to a woman._

Somehow, Syaoran could not accept that his dearest cousin, Meiling, one whom he had known since childhood, one whom he had practically raised himself, one whom he felt was part of himself, had changed into someone he didn't know at all.

* * *

Syaoran unfolded his mother's letter, his anger growing. So far, he had scanned through Wei's letter, and the four letters sent by his sisters, and they all contained the same message: _Leiko is a good girl, Syaoran. We want you to marry her_. 

Except for Sheifa, the sister closest in age to him. Her letter had contained one clear message throughout: _Leiko is the most evil wench ever to be born in the image of Reed. Do not marry her, or your life will be hell: if Leiko does not ensure that, I certainly will. _

Syaoran read the letter carefully, his vision turning red with fury as he progressed onward.

_My dearest Xiao-Lang,_

_Happy Moon Festival, son. May the best blessings of Reed find their way to you, and guide your choices through the paths of life. May the evil eye that has been cast upon you be removed this year, once and for all, as after seven long years of exile, you will finally return home to us. _

_I must ask you now, it is imperative that I receive an answer from you to this question. Just to sate my own curiosity, what kind of spell had the Kinomoto wench cast upon you? You are the Li forechild, the most magical of the clan. Tell me, how powerful is the witch? She must be a truly powerful enchantress to have ensnared you in her web like so. By now, the effects of her spell should have worn off. As if one could ever truly love a Kinomoto. Do not be ashamed of yourself, son. For did legend not say that the green-eyed enchantresses were the most alluring of them all, supposedly the left hands of Reed himself? Do the legends also not say that the golden-eyed, though most powerful in the eyes of Reed, meet their match in the enchantresses whose eyes reflect the hue of forest glade? Be proud of yourself, son, for you have met your match in such a sorceress, and emerged alive. This is the power of the Lis, the true descendants of Reed._

_Meanwhile, there are still other things to be attended to. With your return will come talk of your marriage. After you return, no doubt you will have to clear your name with the Prince Ryozo. But after that, would it not be splendid to announce your engagement? I had thought of the girl, Meiling, as your fiancée, but after, I viewed her in a different light, thanks to that lovely girl, Leiko. Meiling is too wild, too disorderly. She will never be a respectable matriarch, nor do I think she will ever be able to bear a child, after all the times she has ridden astride on a horse. And then, what of the many responsibilities of a matriarch? What of the household tasks? I honestly think Meiling too adventurous for this sort of task._

_Now Xiao-Lang, I know that you are furious with me for even saying this, but please, if you think of it with a calm head, you will find that I am not wrong when I say that Meiling is not the best candidate for matriarch of the Li clan. If you watch carefully, you will see that her limited patience, her incompetence with the completion of any task…these are not qualities of a good matriarch! What if she simply tires of the responsibility expected of her? What then, son of mine? Will you simply let her go? Will you abandon her? Will you watch the Li clan riddled with shame over an incompetent matriarch? _

_I would suggest the candidate of matriarchy would fall to someone sweet-tempered and responsible; one caring and sincere. Leiko is a good girl, Xiao-Lang – she will make a good matriarch of the Li clan. Now, I understand and respect your decisions, but you must remember that for the sake of the Li clan, choose whom you think will make a good matriarch. Leiko is sweet and responsible; she will bear you many heirs. She will be a good wife to you, Xiao-Lang._

_With many returns of the day,_

_Mother_

Syaoran gave out a yell of fury, crushing the letter in his fist. It wasn't true! It couldn't be true! Had Leiko actually succeeded in winning his mother over? Was his mother so weak as to favor Leiko over Meiling? Was she so blind as to not see the sinister light of hunger in Leiko's eyes – one that could only be sated through the reception of power? Had everyone lost their wits?

He stared at the horizon blankly. The sun was dipping below the skyline, a vibrant red color, streaking the sky with bands of purple and pink and orange. Somewhere in the distance, a gull screamed. The wind blew violently, as somewhere off in the east, large grey thunderheads were approaching. In the distance, remainders of men were calling to one another, sheltering themselves against the inevitable onslaught of rain.

Syaoran buried his face in his hands. Why were so many things going wrong?

In these six long years apart from his home and everyone he knew, he felt the world shifting around him so rapidly…everyone was changing, altering into strangers, mere shadows of the real ones he had known before. Eriol had changed. Meiling was changing. Even his own mother seemed distant. There was only one who remained the same.

Sakura.

He leaned back, his robe undone at the front, his chest expanding as he breathed in the dusky air deeply. Sakura…her name was like the binding force on his life. She was the only constant one in a world filled with heart-wrenching change. The only reliable one in a world filled with shadows and strangers. It was as clear to him as the stars in the night sky. She was what was keeping him sane.

Without her, his world would fall apart.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing familiar. 

**a/n:** Wow, I'm shocked at my fourteen-year-old self for writing such mushy stuff. **-sweatdrops-**

Look on the bright side: this arc's now halfway finished! Plus, I've already thrown in a potential villain and conflict.

For some reason, this arc serves no greater purpose than to set the exposition and to take up space. In retrospect, nothing really _happens_ until the second part of the series...

Two more chapters to go, folks!

**Next Chapter:** Meiling informs Sakura about this curious Leiko character. We discover a bit about the world Sakura lives in. The pathway is set for conflict. Ooh.

**Reviews make me shamelessly giddy. And proud. -nods-**

**So please do review!**

**_-Celestiana_**


	3. Talons

**_Star Crossed: Memories_**

* * *

**Summary: **The disgraced heir of the Kinomoto clan, Sakura, stands accused of performing witchcraft. Her crime? Enchanting the heir of the enemy Li clan to fall in love with her...

* * *

**Full Summary:** Thousands of years have passed since the ascension of the great Clow Reed. But both the Li clan and the Kinomoto clan still feud, each claiming direct descent to the magician. A blind and bitter hatred is born, and an era of bloodshed commences. In this world of suspicion and superstition, amity between the two clans is unthinkable, impossible and regarded as acts of treason and witchcraft. Until the unfortunate heirs of the two clans fall in love...

* * *

**a/n:** I love my reviewers and I am in admiration of your patience. **-shakes head-**

Okay, this is a quick, short chapter that sort of sets the exposition for the remainder of the series. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

_the night owl flexes her wings and soars into the moonlight  
trapped in her talons are the remants of withered hopes, dust_

_---------------------------------------_

_Part Three.__ Talons_

It was nighttime. The sun had set hours earlier, and the sky was ink black. Tiny pinpricks of silver stars dotted the sky here and there, crowning the perfect, golden orb that was the moon.

There were festivals everywhere. Peasants in their little huts frolicked about their lawns, setting off fireworks, and dancing to lively music on the roads. In the villages, there were large celebrations in the village squares, where everyone danced and shouted happily and drank themselves silly. And of course, there was the finest of them all…the ball at the palace of Prince Ryozo.

Prince Ryozo was the prince of Ryo, the third largest province in the land of Japan, the largest kingdom in the world. It was he who ruled the kingdom fairly, he who oversaw the everyday goings of his people. And, sadly, it was he who had to see to the well-being of the Kinomotos and the Lis. Although, at times, they _could_ act half-civilly with each other: treating each other with some frozen courtesy.

No one knew how exactly the feud between the Lis and the Kinomotos had started. But it had been going on for so many generations…some of the historically perfectionist scholars insisted that it had lasted a thousand years, ever since the birth of the Clow creed, the birth of Japan and the anointment of Reed as a master of Magic.

Some said it was legend, others insisted it was pure fact. The truth was that while the Lis could claim direct descent from Reed, the Kinomotos insisted that they too, were members of the family of Reed. The idea of such "abomination" could not be tolerated, and a bloody rift was born between the two families, each trying to claim and prove descent to Reed, through evidence or bloodshed.

To some, it was a hopeless cause. Only a few thought it was wrong. Most of the others were caught in the raging fire of pride and ego. And there were few who were strong-minded enough to speak out against the Lis and Kinomotos. But even they, must respect the Prince's decisions.

And so, there they were, the highest ranking of the seven households that made up the court of Ryo. There were most from the Li clan and Kinomoto clan, but also from the Tsurayuki, Yoritomo, Azana, Minomoto and Taira clans, though these five clans combined did not equal the numbers or power of the Kinomoto clan or Li clan alone.

From the Kinomoto clan, the matriarch and patriarch, Kinomoto no Yoshisune-Kato and Kinomoto no Fujitaka, were present, along with Kinomoto no Sakura, the second forechild. Also present was the sister of the former matriarch, Kinomoto no Sonomi-Daidouji, and her daughter, Tomoyo. Kinomoto no Chiharu-Takashi and Yamazaki-Takashi, newly wed, also came. So did Yoshisune's son, Kinomoto no Kenshin-Kato. The heir to the Kinomoto clan, Kinomoto no Touya, sadly was not present.

From the Li clan, there was the single matriarch, Li no Yelan, and the advisor, Wei, as well as the four daughters of Yelan – the four forechildren. The fifth, Li no Syaoran, and the heir to the clan, sadly too, was not present. He had not been present for six years.

Another forechild, Li no Meiling, was present too – though not a direct daughter of Yelan and her late husband, though she was the niece of Yelan and "like a daughter", and also directly bore the name of Li in her name, enough to consider her a forechild. With her came Li no Eriol-Hirigawaza, a close cousin and friend. Several other elders and children did come, a young lady-in-waiting of Yelan's being one of them: a certain Li no Leiko-Kanzaki.

There were two balls: one was for the already married couples, or the promised ones. And then there was one for the younger ones: the single ones not yet bound to another.

Sakura, despite the protests of her father and stepmother, had succeeded in attending the "singles ball". Kenshin had followed her, undaunted, and Sakura was growing sick of him, but instead, sat firmly at a table, just watching the happy people dancing.

She smiled inwardly as she saw Tomoyo and Eriol dancing together. They were so obviously infatuated with each other. And they looked so good together: Tomoyo staring into Eriol's eyes, their faces inches apart.

Of course, no one was really paying attention to the fact that a Kinomoto and a Li were dancing together. In fact, nobody really knew who anyone was. It was a masked ball, and though everyone wore masks, Sakura knew exactly who everyone was. She knew Tomoyo from the waterfall of black hair, she knew Eriol from the telltale navy hair and his height and posture. She could see Meiling in the corner, her long odangos trailing almost to her knees, the way she scrutinized a tall, graceful masked girl, whom Sakura knew was a Li, though which one she could not possibly know.

Sakura started as Meiling casually made her way toward her seat. Sakura focused on the dancers, watching Meiling approach her out of the corner of her eye.

She saw Meiling turn to face the doorway to the garden, and raise two fingers, before turning back. Sakura nodded slightly, to show that she had understood the message. _Meet me in the garden in two minutes_.

Nobody could see a Kinomoto and a Li conversing peacefully in public without getting suspicious. Well, most of people in the other clans would look on and sigh with relief. A Li or Kinomoto clansmember would ritually execute the "traitor" on the spot. It was a sad, confusing world to live in.

Sakura glanced once more at the dancers before getting up slowly, smoothing her flowing gown with her gloved hands before making her way to the door.

Right before she made it to the door, she felt someone behind her.

"Sakura?" a male voice asked.

Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself.

"That's _forechild Kinomoto no Sakura_ to you, Kenshin."

She felt his indecision, his insecurity…she could sense the eagerness literally pouring out from him, and shuddered inwardly. He had been harassing her nonstop – trying to get her to agree to an engagement. Well, even if she were possessed, she would _never_ agree.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as he took her hand in his.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, bringing it to his lips.

Sakura wrenched her hand furiously from his grasp. "_Never_," she hissed, her eyes flashing. "Now get lost, I don't want my evening ruined."

He didn't seem to take a hint, but rather, reached for a strand of her fiery hair. She flinched as his hand brushed her face, the part that wasn't covered by her mask.

"_Let go of me_!" she drew back, knocking his hand aside. He just stared at her, confused.

"Listen to me well, Kenshin, because I will only say this once," she seethed. "I don't know _what_ your mother says to you, I don't _care_ about whatever she says about me, but hear this now, and understand this fully: let there be no misunderstanding when you hear from my lips that this is a _rejection_!"

She lifted her chin defiantly.

"So. Leave. Me. Alone," she clearly enunciated each word, before turning around and opening the door, and slamming it shut behind her. She paused quietly…if he _dared_ to follow her…

Good. Maybe the incredibly thick son of Yoshisune had finally taken a hint.

"Sakura?"

She turned, and faced Meiling. "Hello, Meiling."

Meiling removed her mask, her tanned face shining with sweat. She wiped away strands of black hair that were plastered along her forehead.

"I have some news for you," Meiling said grimly. She took a step forward. "You've got competition."

Sakura stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Meiling blinked. "There's someone else in the running for matriarch of the Li clan now."

Sakura's eyes widened. "There is?! In line with you?! Who?!"

"Shh!" Meiling hissed. "Not so loud!"

"Sorry," Sakura whispered. "But…who?"

"Leiko."

The way Meiling said it, it sounded like poison.

"Leiko?" Sakura repeated, confused. "Who is she?"

"Lady Yelan's new lackey," Meiling said contemptuously. "You saw her, dusting off my aunt's feet with her fan."

Recognition dawned on Sakura. "Oh…" she said. "The tall one?"

Surely it was the tall Li girl whom Meiling had scrutinized with such distaste?

"Yes," Meiling nodded grimly. "That's her, and don't underestimate her. She has a head on her shoulders, and she uses it too."

"That's unusual, to say the least." Sakura paused. "What has she done?"

Meiling rolled her eyes. "She's dangerous, Sakura. She's _very_ manipulative. She's got Lady Yelan believing that _I'm_ a barren spitfire."

"What?" Sakura yelped.

Meiling nodded grimly. "Yes. I'm not in the running anymore. Lady Yelan is convinced that I'm too wild."

Sakura's mouth dropped. "And this is all because of Leiko?"

"Yes," Meiling nodded again, her jaw set in a strikingly similar way to her cousin's. "And not only that, when Sheifa sifted through Fanren's, Fuutie's and Feimei's letters, they all apparently said the same thing: Leiko is perfect for this family."

"In the name of Reed," Sakura swore softly. "She's fast!"

"And very smart," Meling said. "She eliminates everyone from her immediate danger path. Anyone who poses a challenge. All the other girls in the household have no chance, not even me. But you – you're the one she'll have a problem with."

"Why?"

"Because," Meiling paused, a smile warming her face, "you are the love of Syaoran's life. And they know it. All of them. And his seven years are running out, and the so-called spell isn't fading. If Leiko can't prove that Syaoran doesn't love you, then he and you will have to be married, according to Prince Ryozo's law."

Sakura blinked. "So, Leiko might as well give up then? Because now, even Reed himself cannot draw us apart. We are like two souls in one, him and I – two bodies and one life. Reed willing, he will never stop loving me."

"I know that," Meiling said gently, watching Sakura's eyes mist over. "But Leiko will not stop at anything. You see, a wink is as good as a nod to her. She will take one explanation and jumble it up completely, mix it up so much, that one will forget where their truth was in the first place."

Meiling smirked, in great reminiscence of her cousin, again. "Think about it. I went from a spitfire of a boy to Syaoran's fiancée, and now, I'm a barren maiden –"

"You are not barren!" Sakura gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "How could she say that about you?!" Dislike for this Leiko poured through her veins. How _dare_ this lackey insinuate that Meiling was infertile – unable to procreate – how _dare_ she say that Meiling was not a lady?

"I have ridden astride, you know," Meiling said lightly. "And practiced martial arts with Xiao-Lang and Eriol. That is enough to make them believe that I am – incapable."

"But – but –" Sakura gasped, "that is disgusting!"

"That is Leiko," Meiling finished grimly. "I came here to warn you about Leiko. And I warned Syaoran as well. Hopefully, nothing – untoward will happen, but she is adamant in her way."

"And I am in mine," Sakura said firmly. "Thank you, Meiling. Your warning will not go unheeded."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing familiar. Just an evil b-tch by the name of Leiko and a coupla kingdoms and random clans. xD 

**a/n:** Yeah yeah, that was really, really short. Bleh. But hey, just one more chapter until _Memories_ is officially over. Then, we can move on to the good stuff (that's been written more recently than this three-year-old arc...)!

I'm working on the next chapter of _Literary._ I'm aiming to get it out before school starts, but we shall see...

**Next Chapter:** Syaoran reminisces about his and Sakura's first meeting (ironically, if you want flashbacks of how they fell in love, you have to wait until _Odyssey, _the third arc. Weird, ne?)

**Reviews make my day!**

**So please do (review, that is)!**

**_-Celestiana_**


	4. Rosemary

**_Star Crossed: Memories_**

* * *

**Summary: **The disgraced heir of the Kinomoto clan, Sakura, stands accused of performing witchcraft. Her crime? Enchanting the heir of the enemy Li clan to fall in love with her...

* * *

**Full Summary:** Thousands of years have passed since the ascension of the great Clow Reed. But both the Li clan and the Kinomoto clan still feud, each claiming direct descent to the magician. A blind and bitter hatred is born, and an era of bloodshed commences. In this world of suspicion and superstition, amity between the two clans is unthinkable, impossible and regarded as acts of treason and witchcraft. Until the unfortunate heirs of the two clans fall in love...

* * *

**a/n:** Well, here it is. The last chapter of _Memories_. The last chapter containing SxS flashbacks for a good while. So enjoy the painful sappiness while it lasts! **-grimace-**

Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing! I honestly never expected much of a response from a story of this genre, as it doesn't seem to follow the plots that most readers are used to, and I doubted many people would give it a chance. To those that are, thank you so much. The entire _Star Crossed_ series is very close to my heart, and I promise you more of a plot starting in the next arc.

Until then, enjoy!

* * *

_wreaths of fragrant herbs adorn hair and doorway alike  
for whom do we live when our dreams have died?_

_---------------------------------------_

_Part Four.__ Rosemary_

Syaoran leant back, inhaling deeply. The night air was scented with many different fragrances…maple, pine, rosemary, sandalwood…he thought he could even scent cherry blossoms in the wind…but then perhaps, he was imagining things, for it was not the season for cherry blossoms. Now, the harvest would almost be over, and the first blankets of snow would gently dust the ground, first a little powdering of sugar-spun snow, then it would fall heavier and heavier, until all the world was white and glittering, the ice cold and sinister, beautiful…yet forbidding…

…_like a jewel. A jewel has brilliant fire, but holds no warmth…_

Syaoran blinked. Her voice echoed in his mind. She had said that to him, long ago, her eyes meeting his so often…

Her eyes…

How could one describe those eyes?

Syaoran loved her eyes. He loved the warmth, the compassion, the love in those eyes.

People described her in awe, with skin like freshly fallen snow, with hair the hue of autumn leaves, with eyes that sparkled like emeralds…

Emerald…

Emerald-eyed…

He detested that description. How could one compare her to a jewel? As she had said, a jewel held brilliant fire, but gave no warmth. Sakura's eyes, they sparkled with fire, true, but they warmed him to the very pit of his soul.

The first thing he wanted to do when he got back, was to run in front of the Kinomoto manor, and hold her in his arms, feel her warmth…inhale her scent…just whisper in her ears that it was over, and they would never have to part again.

He glanced up at the star-studded sky. Time was passing quickly. Soon, very soon, seven years would be over, and then the occupants of his clan would realize that neither was Sakura an enchantress, nor was he a sorcerer. He had cast no spell, and neither had she. The only magic associated with their bond was love…and Reed bore responsibility to that.

The moon was an enchanting golden color. Syaoran smiled slightly. The moon had been gold the year he had met Sakura. Well, he reasoned, maybe the first time he'd met her _properly_. The first time he'd ever seen her was in the marketplace, on a rainy afternoon near harvest season.

* * *

_**Flashback.**_

* * *

Syaoran scowled as Eriol ducked beneath his arm. "I told you, it's nothing like that!" he spat out furiously, as Eriol laughed. 

"Relax, Syaoran. Don't think that I thought you actually _enjoyed_ that session with Tamiko –"

Syaoran let out a frustrated roar and Eriol ducked again.

"Shut up, Eriol!" he bellowed.

"Okay, okay…"

They walked in silence. The cobbled streets of the marketplace twisted and turned erratically. It was an old, old street. Ryo was a very old land, and these stones were probably there when Clow Reed himself walked the land.

What a thought. Syaoran felt something within him tingle. He was a forechild of the Li clan. He could directly claim descent to Reed himself. There was power in his bloodline. And magic.

But the magic often skipped generations. And it never necessarily manifested in the firstborns, nor the forchildren of the clan. His own father had been the seventh son, and had been one of the most powerful sorcerers of his time. Unlike Syaoran, much to his disappointment. He did have minor magical skills, though not nearly as much as his father had. There had been magic literally sparkling from his fingertips. But even the greatest sorcerers couldn't ward off death.

"Syaoran!"

He turned around, only to collide into a dark figure hurtling at him at a dangerous speed.

"Ow!" he protested. "Meiling, what did you think you were doing?!"

"Sorry!" Meiling said apologetically. Her face was flushed, her long black odangos no longer sleek and shiny, but ruffled from the long run across the marketplace.

"And just what do you think you're doing out here?" Eriol asked, amused. "I thought Aunt Yelan told you to bring back enough wool to cover the kitchen walls."

"I passed that task onto Leiko easily enough," Meiling said with grim satisfication. "Stupid, prissy little airhead. I wouldn't be surprised if the land just opened up and swallowed her one day!"

"But what are you doing _here_?" Syaoran asked, rubbing his head.

"The guard is out again," Meiling said, rolling her eyes. "All of them. And I saw Keitaro grab a peasant and blackmail her into telling him where the Kinomoto matriarch was!"

Syaoran swore under his breath. "Not again!"

Meiling's eyes were pleading. "You have to do something, Syaoran! What happens if someone gets hurt?"

Syaoran turned to Eriol. "Hey Eriol, think you're up to a bit of hide-and-seek?"

Eriol grinned. "More like a game of catch-me-if-you-can, if you know what I mean."

"I'm coming too!" Meiling cried.

Syaoran sighed. "No, you're not. You're going straight home."

Meiling pouted. "Aw, come on Syaoran…"

"No Meiling," Syaoran shook his head obstinately. "I'd want you to be there, but you know what the clanmembers are like. They'd stone me alive for taking you with me, and they'd cut you from the clan. You'd best go back home and just…stall…"

"I _never_ get to have any fun!" Meiling slumped off.

Syaoran shook his head. "Poor girl. Sometime, I think it would have been best if she'd been born male."

"Mm," was all Eriol said. "Now, let's find the guard. That shouldn't be hard. Just look for a load of buffoons in armor. That should do the trick."

Syaoran laughed darkly. "Eriol, you're talking like we've never done this before."

* * *

Syaoran stumbled. Eriol tittered. "Careful, Syaoran. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself…" 

"Shut your mouth!" Syaoran snapped aggressively, pushing himself up. The sky had darkened considerably, rolling grey thunderheads were covering the sky, and worst of all, it was starting to rain – heavily.

"For Reed's sake!" he swore explosively, "did it have to start raining _now_?"

Eriol brushed his navy hair out of his face. "Stop complaining," he said, unusually somber for once. "We still haven't found the guard _or_ the Kinomoto matriarch."

"How hard could it be to find them?" Syaoran asked angrily. "They're usually everywhere!"

"Unless…" Eriol said softly. His eyes widened in a revelation that Syaoran caught at the same moment.

"They already found her!" they said simultaneously, staring at each other.

Almost punctuating their horrified realization, a faint shout reached their ears.

"_I have a Kinomoto here! A Kinomoto pureblood! Lis! There is a Kinomoto pureblood here_…"

"A pox on that man!" Syaoran cursed, turned in the general direction of the cries. "A pox on all of them!"

"Come on," Eriol said. "Let's hope no one gets hurt –"

There was a cry and next thing he knew, there was a crowd of villagers muttering among themselves. Syaoran rushed to the rabble, his tall stature allowing him to see over top the villagers' heads.

There was a girl, sprawled facedown on the ground. She was wrapped in a dark cloak, over top an old peasant's gown. Her hands were scraped and one shoe was missing, the exposed foot white and bleeding.

"What's going on?" Eriol asked, before the girl struggled to rise to her feet. Behind her, there were more cries.

"There she is! Don't let her get away!"

The girl turned as though she had been struck. She removed her other shoe and, testing its weight, threw it at the first approaching Li. The shoe found its mark, but the girl didn't wait to see how good her aim was. She turned and, weaving her way through the crowds of villagers, she raced off, her long red hair shining like a beacon.

Syaoran turned to Eriol. "I'll follow her. You keep an eye on the guard!"

"Will do, clansmember."

Syaoran took off after the girl, her long red hair making her an easy target amid the stone grey landscape.

Syaoran's mind tried to process the facts. This was a Kinomoto pureblood. The redhead. He'd seen her before at the gatherings, but he had never paid much attention to her before. What was her name anyway? Sayuri? Sakina?

He saw her pause momentarily and sighed inwardly with relief. Maybe he could take a bit of break. Though Syaoran was extremely strong, he detested running through crowded places, especially when the terrain was rocky and slippery and the rain plastered his hair directly in front of his eyes –

"Reed, no!" he sputtered under his breath. Somehow, the guard had evaded Eriol's attempts and he could only watch, horrified, as first one grabbed the girl by the wrist and twisted it behind her back, pressing a dagger to her throat. Next thing, they were surrounded by the rest of the guard.

_Fools_, Syaoran thought bitterly. _So consumed by hatred that they think grabbing a young girl will get them anywhere._

The girl was petrified. He could sense it. And who wouldn't be? She was young, even younger than Meiling, most likely. And from what he knew about Kinomoto customs, girls weren't allowed outside the manor, unless they were over a certain age and were going out for specific reasons.

So if this was indeed a Kinomoto pureblood, then what was she doing by herself outside the manor? Weren't Kinomoto girls even more drippy than the Li girls? At least the Li girls knew their way around the marketplace. All Kinomoto girls did was sit at home and sew. Not exactly interesting. The least independent girls were found in the Kinomoto clan.

So why was the pureblood – the Kinomoto pureblood forechild – the _pride_ of the Kinomoto clan – running around the marketplace, being chased by Li guards?

An unexpected thought came to him, of Meiling slumping back home. _I never get to have any fun…_

Was it possible for a Kinomoto to feel the same way?

"Damn them!" he seethed under his breath as he saw one guard crack his whip. The girl flinched.

_This is barbaric_, he thought wildly. _They could kill the forechild! No clan deserves that kind of insult!_

Drawing slightly closer, he began to weigh his odds. Syaoran was good with numbers. He was calm, calculating and shrewd, able to flawlessly plan and execute whatever he set his mind about.

But this looked challenging. Several of his fellow clansmembers were present, and to snatch the girl without their noticing him would prove to be…tricky…to say the least.

"Need any help?" a voice murmured at his ear.

It was Meiling.

"I thought I told you to go home!" Syaoran snapped without any real conviction. He was rather gratified at a willing helper.

"So they didn't get the matriarch," Meiling said, "but they got Kinomoto no Sakura. An excellent replacement."

Meiling was always up-to-date with everything. She everything knew everyone, not just their names, but their parents, their lifepaths, their status, their clan…everything. It was quite frustrating at times.

"Kinomoto no Sakura?"

Meiling nodded. "She and the matriarch Lady Yoshisune-Kato are at loggerheads with each other. And Lady Yoshisune despises other clans. This forechild, at least, respects them."

"Wonder what that respect will be worth after this," Syaoran said glumly, gesturing at the offending guard. "Meiling, I need your help."

"Say no more," Meiling winked and then in a blink of an eye, she was gone.

Syaoran slipped through the shadows, trying to get close enough to hear what they were saying.

"…that hurt, didn't it? Now, let's see…who are you to the Kinomotos? Are you a forechild, or a middler?"

Syaoran recognized that voice. It belonged to Li no Kazune-Kanzaki, who was Leiko's older brother. It was hard for Syaoran to decide which of the pair he disliked more; he finally decided that it was Leiko he despised more. Kazune wasn't the one trying to marry him for the title of matriarch.

The question was odd. Of course the girl was pureblooded, how could she have been a middler? But maybe Kazune was toying with the girl. Syaoran expected silence, or fearful submission. But nothing surprised him more than a Kinomoto girl with a backbone.

"Go boil yourself," the girl gasped. Her voice was low and commanding, not at all what Syaoran expected it to be.

How ironic. The forechild of the most sheltered clan was even braver than some men he knew on the guard. Impressive.

The man's face contorted with rage. _Take that, idiot_, Syaoran thought, satisfied. _You got told off by the Kinomoto forechild_.

Next thing he knew, Kazune's foot kicked out at the girl. Syaoran's mouth tightened as the girl bit back a gasp of pain. The girl – what did Meiling say her name was? Sakura – deserved to live.

"You Kinomoto scum!" Kazune spat loathingly. He turned to the others. "Go now. I want to finish her off by myself."

Obediently, the other members of the guard left, albeit slightly reluctantly. _The thought of torturing Kinomotos really stirred their blood_, Syaoran thought sadly. _But on the other hand, Kazune actually wants to stand in front, rather than direct from behind like the coward he is. Good for me, I suppose_.

He moved silently to ten feet away from the Kinomoto, mentally conjuring up a spell for invisibility.

Kazune noticed nothing. Stepping back from the girl, he shouldered a giant bow and fitted an arrow to it, taking aim.

"Get up," he ordered quietly.

_Wait for the right moment_, Syaoran thought to himself, watching Kazune's fingers intently. _Wait for the moment when the string is at utmost tension and the fingers stop moving…_

The girl had struggled to her feet and was swaying slightly. Doubtless she was terrified, to be such a young thing and be tortured by a group of grown men…it was a frightening prospect, even for Syaoran.

Kazune was still aiming, his fingers trembling as the bowstring shivered under the tension.

Then, Kazune paused, in a moment which Syaoran deemed the right time. He leapt toward the girl, racing quickly as he saw her eyes close in submission, a strange half-smile cross her lips. He saw, almost in slow motion, the arrow leave the bow, hurtling toward the girl, a speeding flight of death. He jumped, grabbing the girl, wrapping his arms around her small frame, pulling her close to him…

He was aware of landing rather painfully on his back and falling down the hill, rolling until he was slightly dizzy. He stopped before he fell into the river, the girl still in his arms.

_Reed help me…_

Years of martial arts training provided him with lightning-fast reflexes, and it was at times like these when he was grateful for it. He pushed himself up to his feet and raced for the abandoned outhouse which he knew was around here somewhere…

There it was. He ducked into the door, slamming it shut and let go of the girl, only to see her sway alarmingly. He swore under his breath and grabbed her again, pressing her against the wall firmly, his arms wrapped around her shoulders reassuringly. At the moment, it didn't matter to him that she was a Kinomoto and he was a Li. It didn't matter that many of his kinsmen were outside, hell-bent on having their way with this girl. It didn't matter that this girl's kinsfolk had killed his father.

Was the girl responsible for that? This young girl barely of marriageable years was scarce able to draw a bow, let alone cause harm to any of his kind. Then why the hatred? Why the inexplicable hatred? Just because several thousand years ago, her ancestor had claimed direct descent to the greatest sorcerer of all time? Was it because the Lis couldn't stand the idea of others being closer in blood to Reed than them? Was it because of this that the long, tireless, bloody feud had been caused? Syaoran knew his own clan accused the Kinomotos of blasphemy, deceit and sufferers of their own ego. But from where Syaoran stood, his own people seemed far more egocentric than the Kinomotos.

_Why hate someone so strongly, when you could love them with all your heart and soul?_

As in response to his thoughts, the girl pulled even closer to him. Syaoran felt surprised when he felt his face heat up, and even more so when he tightened his hold around the girl.

_What in the name of Reed am I doing?_

And then, he seemed to realize where he was. He was alone, with the Kinomoto forechild, and they were both drenched to the bone by the rain, and bruised and sore from the fall down the hill, and, the girl Sakura was in a bad condition. Her body was cold and shaking, her feet were unshod and red raw, and the back of her dress was soaked through with blood. Nonetheless, she was pressed against his chest closely, and he had his arms around her rather – intimately. If a clansmember of his, or hers, viewed this, there would be hell to pay.

Syaoran felt a daring sort of recklessness come over him. _Let them come_, he thought, rather aggressively. _No one will touch her while I am alive._

It was strange. There was something burning within him, a strange reckless fire in the heart that caused him to act quite impulsively. And Syaoran was a logical, reasonable thinker. He valued his calm capacity above all.

This strange new spontaneity marred everything he had come to value this life.

And strangely, he found that if Sakura was with him, he didn't mind that his perception of the world had so rapidly altered in a few short moments.

But then again, lots of things could happen in a few short moments.

Seeds could be planted into the ground in the span of a few short moments.

Rain could fall the distance spanning Reed's home in the stars to the ground in a few short moments.

Life could leave the body in a few short moments.

The heart could beat faster and faster in a few short moments…

He could feel her heart beating, wildly at first, then slowing down, until it merged with his.

Quite suddenly, he didn't know how, he was staring into her eyes. They were quite beautiful, actually. Big, wide, green, expressive…

"Syaoran!"

He started. That sounded like Eriol. There would be hell to pay if Eriol came and saw them. He pulled away from the girl, albeit rather reluctantly, he thought, and raced back into the storm, his mind confused.

There was only one thought left in his mind.

He had to see her again.

* * *

**_End flashback._**

* * *

He didn't know why that first meeting was so vividly etched in his memory. Oh, he remembered every moment with her, for there had been precious few. But this…this was different. He only had to close his eyes and he could see it replayed in his mind, feeling his blood race and heart beat wildly… 

He opened his eyes, and he was alone.

He still had to wait a long time.

* * *

**//end of Arc 1, _Star Crossed: Memories_.**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I reiterate, I own nothing familiar. 

**a/n:** Well, that was a bit longer than the previous, painfully short chapter. But as you can see, not much has happened in this arc. As I mentioned earlier, this arc was mainly to set up the exposition of the series. Now that you're all vaguely familiar with the ancient society SxS live in, their situations and their problems, the next arcs will make sense.

Just to clarify some points of contention:

a) Setting: this story takes place ages and ages ago (I haven't decided on an actual time period, but the spoken language speaks for itself, I hope...). So, keeping things like inflation in mind, the value of one yen would be sky high compared to today (again, this is me justifying for the haggling in _Part Two_). Like, back in the 1800s, you could get yourself a giant three-course meal for less than two USD, which was a fortune at the time. So, keeping that in perspective... (yes, this whole talk about currency was kind of pointless. I just realized. **-cough-**)

b) Terms: words such as _forechild_ and _middler_ were used quite frequently throughout the chapters. I'm not sure if you've deduced the proper meaning for it or not, so I'll clarify (as I don't believe these words exist in the dictionary, seeing as I made them up to suit my purposes). A forechild is a pureblooded member of a clan. So, Sakura and Touya are the forechildren of the Kinomoto clan (they don't have an additional name attached to their clan names), whereas Tomoyo is considered a "middler" (because she does have an additional name attached to her clan name. Compare _Kinomoto no Sakura_ to _Kinomoto no Tomoyo-Daidouji_). For my purposes (remember, none of these terms actually exist IRL), the forechildren are the ones who rule their clans: Touya is the next patriarch of the Kinomoto clan, set to take control after his father, whereas Syaoran is the next patriarch of the Li clan.  
(But wait! I hear the mumblings of curious readers wondering why they haven't read anything about Sakura's father _or_ Touya lately! Well...you'll find out soon. Next arc, to be precise.)

c) Discontinuity: It's something at least one reviewer will point out to me at least every chapter (of not just this fic, but every other fic I've written), and that is my strange description of Sakura's hair. Allow me to account for myself. Prior to writing CCS fanfiction, I was familiar only with the manga, where Sakura's hair is (IMO) considerably redder than it is brown. So when I started writing fanfiction, I always had the manga image of Sakura in my head, with the big green eyes, the pale white skin and, yes, the red hair. It was only a good year or so after I'd started writing that I reacquainted myself with the anime and realized that her hair was auburn-brown. But by then, I preferred the manga description of Sakura better, and so I just stuck with that. Sorry to anger/offend any CCS anime purists out there. I'm old and too used to my Sakura sporting fiery red hair (you can blame it on my poor colour perception if all else fails).

Anyhow, this arc is **now complete.** **This is not the end of the _Star Crossed_ series, however!**

Within the next week or so (depending on how real life goes), I will post the next arc. Keep your eyes peeled for it - the best thing to do would be to either add me to your Author Alerts or join my Notifylist (the link is posted on my profile).

**Next Arc:** We discover more about Sakura's family. Where is Touya, and why did Fujitaka remarry? And more importantly, just what is this curious Leiko character up to exactly? Find out all this and more in _Star Crossed: Awakening_.

**Thank you everyone for reading. Please leave a review - we're heading into my favourite part of the series!**

**Cheers!**

**_-Celestiana_**


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